Dole Award Reduced For Nicaragua Banana Farmers

Law360, New York (March 10, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT) -- A court has reduced the award of Nicaraguan banana workers harmed by pesticides used in Dole Food Co.'s banana plantations from $5 million to roughly $1.58 million. The court found that any punitive damages award in the case would be arbitrary.

Six Nicaraguan farm hands said they were rendered sterile by the use of pesticide CBCP in the banana plantations where they worked. A jury originally ordered Dole to pay around $2.6 million and additional punitive damages for acting with malice.